Men's Basketball

Friedt Named First Team Academic All-American

Feb 21, 2012

SPOKANE, Wash. – Whitworth senior post Felix Freidt has been named to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-America® Division III Men's Basketball Team as a First Team honoree, according to the list released today by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Friedt, a Third Team Academic All-America selection last year, is now a two-time Academic All-America honoree.

Friedt is an international business major with a grade point average of 3.97. He is only the second men's basketball player to be selected as an Academic All-American. Bryan Depew was the first in 2004.

So far this season he is second on the team in scoring average (16.4 ppg – 5th in the Northwest Conference), while making 59.5% of his shots from the field (3rd in the NWC). He currently leads the Northwest Conference in rebounding average (8.8). Friedt devastates opponents by drawing fouls and making free throws. Not only is he second in the NWC in free throw percentage (81.4%), he has made more free throws (149) than all but two other players in the league have even attempted.

"Felix really personifies the term scholar-athlete," said Whitworth Head Coach Matt Logie. "His countless individual achievements on the basketball court are further magnified by the team success that has come along with it."

"However, his many athletic achievements pale in comparison to the excellence he has displayed in the classroom," Logie continued. "To accomplish all of this away from his home in Germany makes it all the more impressive. Felix has an extremely bright future ahead of him and is richly deserving of this recognition."

Friedt has been named NWC Men's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week twice – first on December 6th and then on January 10th and he leads the conference with 12 double-doubles this season.

Friedt has 1,031 career points and became the 22nd player in Whitworth history to surpass the 1,000 career point total during the game at Whitman on February 14th.

Over the course of his three seasons as a starter, Whitworth has won three NWC championships. He leads the Pirates into this week's NWC tournament, beginning with a semifinal on Thursday night against Lewis & Clark.